❓ I refer to the Mullingar tailings dam located at the top end of Hare Street East in close proximity to Kalgoorlie-Boulder owned by Barrick Gold and Newmont mining, operated and managed by Kalgoorlie C
AnsweredQoN 3241Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Mullingar tailings dam located at the top end of Hare Street East in close proximity to Kalgoorlie-Boulder owned by Barrick Gold and Newmont mining, operated and managed by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM), and ask -
(1) Can the Minister state why has the Mullingar tailings dam been reported as a contaminated site?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister state who is liable and responsible for the Mullingar Tailings dam as a contaminated site?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister explain why the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has failed over many successive years to direct or instruct KCGM under various acts administered by the department to remediate, rehabilitate the site or remove the tailings from the area so as to not pose a risk to the environment for the future and the public of Western Australia?
(6) If no to (7), why not?
(7) Can the Minister state all the toxic contaminants that are contained within the Mullingar tailings dam for it to be considered a contaminated site?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(1) Can the Minister state why has the Mullingar tailings dam been reported as a contaminated site?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister state who is liable and responsible for the Mullingar Tailings dam as a contaminated site?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister explain why the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has failed over many successive years to direct or instruct KCGM under various acts administered by the department to remediate, rehabilitate the site or remove the tailings from the area so as to not pose a risk to the environment for the future and the public of Western Australia?
(6) If no to (7), why not?
(7) Can the Minister state all the toxic contaminants that are contained within the Mullingar tailings dam for it to be considered a contaminated site?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 March 2011
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
104 days
(1)-(2) The Mullingar tailings dam, on parts of Mining Tenements M26/58, M26/113 and M26/353, was reported as a suspected contaminated site under the
Contaminated Sites Act 2003
because desktop studies identified the suspected presence of metals and salinity in soil.
(3)-(4)The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) understands that the Mullingar tailings dam was built around 100 years ago, before the formation of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM).
Under Part 4 of the Act, if appropriate action is not taken voluntarily to investigate the site, DEC may give an Investigation Notice to the site owner (in this case the State of Western Australia), the occupier (KCGM, as holder of the Mining Tenements) and/or a person who would be responsible for remediation under Part 3 of the Act, if the site was classified
contaminated - remediation required
.
Taking into account the age of the Mullingar tailings dam, it is unlikely that the person responsible for building the tailings dam can be identified or found, or be made to assume responsibility for the remediation. The management of this facility is, however, addressed in KCGM's Mine Closure Plan, which was submitted to DEC in April 2010.
(5)-(6)As at 31 December 2010, DEC had received no specific information or complaint, nor had DEC officers' own observations provided any evidence to suggest that the Mullingar tailings dam posed an immediate or serious risk of harm to human health, the environment or environmental values, which warranted urgent action.
DEC considers that closure of this historic tailings storage facility has been adequately addressed in KCGM's Mine Closure Plan.
(7)-(8)Based on the suspected presence of metals and salinity associated with the tailings dam, Mining Tenements M26/58, M26/113 and M26/353 were classified
possibly contaminated - investigation required
under the Act.
However, further investigation is required to determine the nature and extent of metals, salinity and any other potential contaminants of concern identified during the investigation. The site will remain classified
possibly contaminated - investigation required
until investigations, undertaken in accordance with DEC's Contaminated Sites Management Series guidelines, have been submitted to DEC.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
Contaminated Sites Act 2003
because desktop studies identified the suspected presence of metals and salinity in soil.
(3)-(4)The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) understands that the Mullingar tailings dam was built around 100 years ago, before the formation of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM).
Under Part 4 of the Act, if appropriate action is not taken voluntarily to investigate the site, DEC may give an Investigation Notice to the site owner (in this case the State of Western Australia), the occupier (KCGM, as holder of the Mining Tenements) and/or a person who would be responsible for remediation under Part 3 of the Act, if the site was classified
contaminated - remediation required
.
Taking into account the age of the Mullingar tailings dam, it is unlikely that the person responsible for building the tailings dam can be identified or found, or be made to assume responsibility for the remediation. The management of this facility is, however, addressed in KCGM's Mine Closure Plan, which was submitted to DEC in April 2010.
(5)-(6)As at 31 December 2010, DEC had received no specific information or complaint, nor had DEC officers' own observations provided any evidence to suggest that the Mullingar tailings dam posed an immediate or serious risk of harm to human health, the environment or environmental values, which warranted urgent action.
DEC considers that closure of this historic tailings storage facility has been adequately addressed in KCGM's Mine Closure Plan.
(7)-(8)Based on the suspected presence of metals and salinity associated with the tailings dam, Mining Tenements M26/58, M26/113 and M26/353 were classified
possibly contaminated - investigation required
under the Act.
However, further investigation is required to determine the nature and extent of metals, salinity and any other potential contaminants of concern identified during the investigation. The site will remain classified
possibly contaminated - investigation required
until investigations, undertaken in accordance with DEC's Contaminated Sites Management Series guidelines, have been submitted to DEC.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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